Necessary To Win: Side Stories
by Theralion
Summary: A collection of short stories about the cast of Necessary To Win, and some of their doings outside of tankery
1. Penguins and Bandaged Bears

**Necessary To Win: Side Stories**

_What follows is a series of short stories set at various points in what I could call the "Necessary to Win-verse. They vary in tone and style, with some humorous, others serious, some focusing on the protagonists, others focusing on their rivals or minor characters. They will not follow a regular update schedule and will have a variety of stories. Having read Necessary To Win and Paths Toward Victory is recommended for some of these stories in order to understand the context in which they are set, as they happen at varying points throughout the series._

_Without further ado, here's the first installment._

**Penguins and Bandaged Bears  
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One day after school, after the end of the tournament, Miho was shopping in a toy store in Oarai, while the ship was in port. The store was surprisingly popular among high school students, who often looked for gifts for their younger siblings, cousins, and even nephews and nieces... so said many of those who bought the gifts.

The cashier, a woman in her early twenties, was slightly surprised when Miho admitted that her first purchase from the store was for herself. She was surprised again when she learned the only reason Miho had been reluctant to admit it was because she was not buying it as a gift for a friend.

Miho recognized that cashier when she came in, and suspected that the cashier recognized some of her more regular customers. And as she approached the stuffed animals section, Miho recognized another person- her friend and kouhai, Haramura Nodoka.

Nodoka was busy browsing the merchandise, so Miho spoke first to get her attention.

"Nodoka-san?" Miho said. "It's a surprise to see you here."

"It...certainly is, Miho-senpai," Nodoka said, somewhat awkwardly. Nodoka was, in most cases, more confident than Miho, so when Miho noticed Nodoka stuttering, she saw it as proof that she'd unwittingly found one of Nodoka's weak spots. To Miho, confidence was like a suit of armor; it protected the wearer, but was not entirely easy to wear all the time, and still had vulnerabilities.

"Were you also looking for a stuffed toy, Nodoka-san?" Miho said.

Nodoka briefly considered her options. Perhaps she could lie her way out of it and claim that she was buying a gift for a friend, but she realized that Miho was too perceptive to uncritically accept that.

"Well... yes," Nodoka said. "The truth is... I have a stuffed penguin at my apartment called Etopen, which I purchased at a local toystore in Achiga while I was in elementary school there. I was hoping to find one like him here."

Miho simply nodded, interested.

"I... hope you won't laugh, Miho-senpai," Nodoka said. Even if she had become friends with Miho, she was still concerned with what Miho would think of her.

Nodoka's parents were highly respectable in every aspect of their lives, wearing suits to work every day, and keeping their offices highly neat and professional. Nodoka's mother had once taken her to work, while holding her to almost the same standards of dress and behavior as she was held herself. While there, Nodoka saw only one personal touch in her mother's office- a framed family picture- and the little she saw of one of her mother's co-workers' offices suggested that the others had similarly spartan and professional working spaces.

While not necessarily ashamed of Etopen, Nodoka saw it as a highly private side of herself, one that she would not easily show to others, and Etopen had not left the apartment since Nodoka had movd in. But Miho was not a judgmental person, and had more in common with Nodoka than she thought.

"No, of course I won't, Nodoka-san," Miho said. "In fact, I've got a lot of stuffed animals myself; I should show you my Bokoare-guma collection."

Nodoka's eyes lit up for a moment. When she realized she had common ground with someone else, she could talk about her interests with them more easily. She had bonded with Shizuno and Ako over their love of tankery, and, in the process, had also met their mutual friend Kuro.

"I've heard z little about them," Nodoka said. "The line of bandaged teddy bears, right?"

"That's right," Miho said, smiling. "As the story goes, the bear is short-tempered and likes to fight, but is weak and he gets beaten up easily."

"That's... almost the opposite of your personality, Miho-senpai," Nodoka said, slightly surprised at the description of the bear. For a moment, she had wondered if the bear was being bullied by the others, and wondered if Miho felt sympathy for him as a result. So why would she like someone who was so belligerent and largely brought his suffering on himself?

"I find it endearing, in a sense," Miho said. "He's not good at what he does, but he tries so hard, even when it costs him so much. He's also very straightforward and decisive. It must be nice to be able to go forward like that without being held back by your own doubt, and to do what you feel you must without being afraid of whether you can't do it. Perhaps for this reason, or perhaps merely instinctively, I like hugging him at night whenever I feel troubled."

Nodoka then paused as she came to a realization. It was true that Miho was, unlike the bear, relatively meek, so perhaps she admired someone who had a far greater resolve in the face of far steeper odds.

"I suppose that's true," Nodoka said. "But your triumphs have also involved struggle, Miho-senpai. And in spite of your being less confident than the bear, you can stand your ground when it matters, and succeed when you must. You're also very true to yourself, and I consider that strength."

Miho smiled and nodded.

"You, too, have aspects of yourself that you should accept, Nodoka-san," Miho said. "The day may come when you have to dress according to your employers' standard and keep your work space professional for those who may visit it, but I don't think there's anything shameful about keeping a stuffed animal that's also a childhood memento at home. You will need to be respectable in front of certain people, now and in the future, but you shouldn't worry about what your friends will think."

Nodoka nodded.

"I'll try that, Miho-senpai," Nodoka said.

A store employee who seemed as though she was just out of high school, passed by, and recognized Nodoka and Miho's Oarai uniforms. She did not pause to consider what they were here for, and whether the penguins and bandaged bears they were considering buying were for them or anyone else. To her, they were customers and her intuition suggested that they might need help.

"Can I help either of you young ladies find anything?" the employee said.

"No, thank you," Miho said. "I'm just browsing for the moment."

Nodoka decisively nodded. Now was as good a time as any to be true to herself in this matter.

"Yes, please," Nodoka said. "I have a round plush penguin at home, and I was wondering if you had any like that here..."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes<strong>

Nodoka is canonically at least somewhat embarrassed by Etopen at first, particularly when her teammates learn about her sleeping with a stuffed animal at the first training camp, but gets to the point at which she can carry the stuffed animal into public games without much shame, and even plays better with it. This initial embarrassment is likely derived from Nodoka's desire to be taken seriously, given that she's quite hesitant to doing anything "childish." By contrast, Miho, who's significantly humbler than Nodoka, and thus less self-conscious, doesn't appear to have any reservations about inviting her friends over, where they can see her stuffed animals, so this is an interesting point of contrast between the two.

The information about Bokoare-guma comes from the director's Twitter. It's somewhat surprising that Miho likes a character like that, and I decided to elaborate as to why.


	2. Moving Day At Saunders

**Moving Day At Saunders**

Shizuno and her mother walked up to the apartment where she would be living with Ako on the Saunders schoolship, each carrying boxes full of Shizuno's belongings.

"Well, it looks like we're here," Ayano said.

"Do I have to wear the uniform today, Mom?" Shizuno said. "The entrance ceremony's not until tomorrow."

"There are a few reasons I think you should, Shizuno," Ayano said. "First, you can't just wear your jersey all the time. Second it would be good to get used to wearing the uniform. And third, I think Ako-chan will be impressed at how nice you look, in the same uniform that she'll be wearing."

Shizuno reluctantly nodded. She was not one for dressing up, and had been less than enthusiastic about having to wear a uniform in middle school. But her mother was correct, and she would have to do this from now on, now that she was at Saunders.

_"The same uniform as Ako, huh?" _Shizuno thought. _"It's been a few years, but it is really quite nice for the two of us and Kuro to be at the same school."_

The Takakamos walked up to the apartment, knocking on the door.

"Come in!" Atarashi Nozomi, Ako's older sister, an alumna and employee of Saunders, said.

Shizuno opened the door, which was unlocked. Inside the small apartment, which had a living room, a single bedroom with two beds, a small kitchen, and a bathroom with a shower, they saw Ako and Nozomi, who were already unpacking some of Ako's things in the living room. Ako had evidently had the same idea Ayano had, and was also wearing her uniform.

"Sorry to intrude, Ako-chan, Nozomi-chan," Ayano said, having known both sisters since they were young.

"Come right on in, ma'am," Nozomi said politely.

"It's been a while since we've met in person, Shizu," Ako said, as she walked across the room to greet Shizuno.

"It certainly has, Ako!" Shizuno said. "And it's good to see you again too, Nozomi-san!"

As she got a closer look at Ako, Shizuno was struck by a few things about her childhood friend. She seemed more at ease in her uniform, having had to wear a tie every day in middle school. She had grown out her hair, rather than having it in girlish pigtails; Shizuno found it quite to her liking, even if she herself was content to keep the same ponytail she had since elementary school.

But as Ako stopped a few paces from Shizuno, Shizuno noticed that Ako was considerably taller than she was. Formerly, the opposite had been true, with Ako shorter than both Shizuno and Nodoka. With her new vantage point, Shizuno could not help but look at Ako's chest, and see a pair of somewhat well-developed breasts.

"Wow, Ako, you really grew while we were apart," Shizuno said.

"I know," Ako said. "But it's still not quite where I want to be; Yuu-nee might be two years my senior, but she's still taller and larger breasted than I'll most likely ever be, as is Kuro.

"I suppose," Shizuno said. "But in both regards, you're a bit luckier than I am. I don't feel as though I've made any progress since we last saw each other."

Ako took a moment to look Shizuno over, and shook her head.

"I don't think that's entirely accurate, Shizu," Ako said. "You have grown a bit, and you do look considerably more grown up in that uniform."

"So Mom was right," Shizuno said, chuckling resignedly. "You'll get lots of chances to see me in it."

While the younger girls were talking, Nozomi turned to Ayano.

"Time certainly flies, doesn't it, Takakamo-san?" Nozomi said. "I still remember when I was coming here for the first time, back when Ako was little. And to think now I'm an employee here."

"Indeed, Nozomi-chan," Ayano said. No matter how many years would pass, neither would forget how they had met when Ayano was a young woman and Nozomi was a little girl. "I'm glad to see that your sister and my daughter are getting along so well, after going to different middle schools."

"Well, they did keep in touch over the years," Nozomi said. "And more than that, they have a connection. That's why they believe that if they reunite with Haramura Nodoka-chan, they'll be friends again."

* * *

><p>In another apartment in the same complex, Kuro and Yuu were in the process of settling into their shared apartment.<p>

"This is your first time sharing an apartment since middle school, right, Onee-chan?" Kuro said.

"It is," Yuu said. "I was uncomfortable with the idea of living in close proximity with someone I didn't know well. It was partly because I was more introverted earlier this year, and partly because I was concerned that they wouldn't be accommodating to... my needs."

"Ah, yes, the temperature," Kuro said. "I understand that you need a warm environment, but I'm also comfortable with saying no to you."

"I understand and appreciate your willingness to do so, Kuro-chan," Yuu said. "We do have to keep our energy use in mind."

Kuro sat on her bed, which she could tell apart from her sister's because it had fewer sheets on it, and began unpacking some of her things. While taking out her belongings, she saw a few framed pictures on her sister's desk.

There was one of the sisters as small girls, with both their parents, and the photo was one of the few the girls had of their mother. The fact that relatively little remained of the woman who had given birth to the sisters was why Kuro was so keen on taking photographs, in order to create mementos of the people dearest to her.

Nearby was a more recent photo of Kuro, Yuu and their mutual friend Arata. Kuro and Arata were wearing their middle school's uniforms- white sailor fukus with blue skirts and red neckerchiefs- while Yuu wore a Saunders uniform with a few appropriate extra layers of clothing.

One last photo was there, showing Yuu with Kay, along with Naomi and Alisa. Kay had befriended Yuu early on in her time at Saunders, and Yuu had, through Kay, gotten to know Alisa and Naomi as well.

"I've got one more photo to add, Onee-chan, if you don't mind," Kuro said.

"Go right ahead, Kuro-chan," Yuu said.

Kuro took out a photo of herself with Ako, Shizuno and Nodoka as young children.

"Ah yes, your friends," Kuro said. "I'm glad Ako-chan is coming here. I'm looking forward to finally meeting Takakamo Shizuno-chan. And I hope you and Haramura Nodoka-chan will be able to reunite."

Kuro smiled, glad that her sister was not only making friends of her own, but was also going to meet and befriend some of her friends. But even if the sisters were making friends of their own, they were glad to stay together once again.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere, Himeko and Mairu opened up their dorm room, which was the same one they had shared last year, and which Mairu had inhabited the year before.<p>

"Well, looks like we're back," Mairu said nonchalantly, as they began settling into their room, unpacking their things in the usual places. Having been roommates since Himeko's first and Mairu's second year of middle school, they naturally knew where to put their belongings, which beds each would take, when they would each shower and everything else related to living together.

"This is like middle school, isn't it?" Himeko said. "We share a room for two years, but we're separated for my last year."

"Seems about right," Mairu said. "My roommate from my first year, who was in her third year at the time, was decent enough. She was a bit more than a senpai but a bit less than a friend to me. We'd spent enough time together that we weren't purely defined by our relationship as senpai and kohai, but in the end, we never truly developed a bond apart from that."

"Well, you and I also started out as roommates with an age gap, _Shirouzu_-_senpai_," Himeko said, addressing Mairu as she did when they first met. "So when you expressed a desire to become closer, it did take a while to start seeing you as a friend rather than a senpai."

"Yes, I am fully aware of this, _Tsuruta,_" Mairu said, responding in kind. "But I think that in our case, there's more to our friendship than just the time we spend together.

"Same here, Mairu," Himeko said. "Let's find Kirame at some point to get a photo of us together, after we change into our uniforms."

Mairu and Himeko had something of a yearly tradition in which they had their picture taken together while wearing their school uniforms, with the photographer usually being a mutual friend. This started in Mairu's last year of middle school, when she first received her Saunders uniform.

The two changed into their uniforms, and looked themselves and each other over in the mirror.

"You know, Himeko, I'm curious about one thing," Mairu said. "I won't have to wear a uniform at university, so it'll be a little weird standing next to you with your uniform. Should I dress up a little? Or should I just wear what I do every day?"

"The latter," Himeko said. "And when you graduate from college, and we take our picture together again, you can wear a suit that you wear to your first job, while I wear what usually do, so we'll be even."

Mairu smiled. They could not know for certain where they would be in the future, but being friends with staying in touch with Himeko for years in the future seemed like a nice prospect.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere, Yoshiko and Hitomi, by sheer chance, ended up as roommates together, as a result of their former roommates, who were a year older than them, graduating.<p>

Yoshiko, unsure of how the encounter would go, nervously knocked on the door to the room they were sharing.

"Yes?" Hitomi said.

"I'm Yasukouchi Yoshiko, and I'll be living here starting today," Yoshiko said.

"Come in," Hitomi said, opening the door into the room. "I'm Ezaki Hitomi, and I heard you were my roommate."

"Pleased to meet you," they said.

The two exchanged bows. When they rose, Hitomi extended her right hand for a handshake and after a moment, Yoshiko took it and shook it.

While Saunders was significantly more relaxed as a result of its American influences, many of its students still practiced Japanese etiquette toward each other. So until one of the two gave permission otherwise, they would refer to each other as "Yasukouchi-san" and "Ezaki-san." In Saunders' highly regarded English courses, in which third-year students were required to use English for class discussions, this would be "Miss Yasukouchi" and "Miss Ezaki."

"So, Yasukouchi-san, what do you do around Saunders?" Hitomi said. "I'm on the tankery team."

"So am I," Yoshiko said. "I don't think we've ever met each other before now."

"Well, the team's quite large," Hitomi said, "large enough to field three full tankery teams. Our commander, Kay, is quite friendly and outgoing, but I don't think she knows everyone."

"That's not really much of an obstacle for her," Yoshiko said. "In our second year, she walked up to me and began talking to me like we knew each other all along. She really does make it look easy..."

"Maybe it _is_ easy," Hitomi said.

While they were talking, the girls then began to decorate their sides of the room. Yoshiko began putting up a picture of her favorite boy band. Hitomi had heard of it before, and found the music decent. She silently approved Yoshiko putting it up, even if she would not put any of her spending money toward buying one of her own.

"That's a nice poster of a wheat field, Ezaki-san," Yoshiko said as she looked at one of Hitomi's posters, trying to make conversation.

"It's actually a group of crop circles, Yasukouchi-san," Hitomi said, trying to avoid bringing up the fact that this seemed to be proof that Yoshiko was visually impaired enough to need her glasses.

"Ah," Yoshiko said. "Like those that UFOs make?"

"That's right!" Hitomi said enthusiastically. "You may not know this, but in the basement between the Diet building, there's a secret government complex dedicated to making contact with aliens."

"I see..." Yoshiko said. She was skeptical at best about that theory, but was unsure of how to express it tactfully enough. "Are you interested in conspiracy theories?"

"You could say that," Hitomi said. "Whenever anything goes wrong, I tend to blame the government."

Yoshiko nodded.

"I've heard another interesting rumor recently," Hitomi said. "Black Forest's former vice captain, Nishizumi Miho-san, was offered a scholarship to Oarai if she abandoned her tank and caused her school to lose the tournament. Oarai will apparently get shut down if they don't win the tournaent this year, and they were desperate to recruit someone like Nishizumi-san."

"But weren't there some girls at risk of drowning in that tank that fell into the water?" Yoshiko said.

"They were Nishizumi-san's accomplices," Hitomi said. "I also heard that she negotiated to include them in the plan, and have them compensated accordingly."

"Why would Nishizumi-san do such a thing, though?" Yoshiko said. "Her parents are clearly wealthy enough to pay for Black Forest's relatively high tuition, and they'd be mad if she switched schools, much less under those circumstances."

"Yeah, I know," Hitomi said. "Some of the comments on the rumor site that hosted this said things like that. Even if Alisa-san seemed to believe it, I acknowledge that it's flawed at best."

"Really?" Yoshiko said, surprised.

"Yeah," Hitomi said. "Take any conspiracy theory and you can poke more holes in it than a screen door. Why would Nishizumi-san go from being vice-captain of the school that won every tournament in the last decade except last year's, to a school without a tankery team?" Hitomi paused, her expression somber. "But I suppose it's less depressing to think about it that way than to think that because Nishizumi-san did the right thing, albeit at great cost to the team, she got forced out of Black Forest, and her sister may well have been among those forcing her out."

Yoshiko had no idea what she could say to that. In her high school tankery career, she believed she had done well, even if she had never even made it to the finals in her first on second year, and did not seriously believe she would in the future. Were there really those who saw winning as inevitable? And did they come down hard on anyone who got in the way of their goal, no matter their goal?

"So... it's a question of hoping you can believe in a more pleasant alternative," Yoshiko said.

"Well, yes," Hitomi said. "I do sometimes make excuses when things go wrong. But when disaster strikes your team, is it really easy to accept that it's all your fault?"

"No, I guess not," Yoshiko said. "Part of my nervousness comes from fearing that I'll make such a mistake. But as for you, Ezaki-san, you're only human."

The two girls, despite only having just met, were gradually starting to get accustomed to the idea of sharing a room together for a year. But a thought crossed their mind, that perhaps it would be nice if their association went beyond that.

* * *

><p>Harue unpacked the last of her things in her new apartment, a relatively small and affordable one in a complex for Saunders faculty and staff. The apartments there were fairly affordable for those with positions at Saunders.<p>

Harue sorted her clothes into various drawers. Gone were the days when she would wear the same uniform to school each day. She still had to look presentable for her job, but the dress code was somewhat relaxed for the faculty at Saunders, giving her some latitude as to what to wear.

Harue heard a knock on her door, and glanced through the peephole, recognizing it as her old friend, Nozomi. They had gone to school together since they were young, and now were coworkers at their alma mater.

"Come in," Harue said, as she opened the door. "Hi, Nozomi, it's good to see you."

"Good to see you've moved in, Harue," Nozomi said. "It looks like our apartments aren't that far apart."

"I know," Harue said. "What about your sister? Aren't you at all interested in staying with her while she's at Saunders?"

"Ako's rooming with her friend, Shizuno-chan," Nozomi said.

Harue nodded, remembering Shizuno as one of her students in the mahjong club who had been with her from the start until the finish.

"Ah, yes, Shizu," Harue said.

"It has been a while since Ako and Shizuno have seen each other, so she's happy to see her friend again," Nozomi said. "And I think she's closer to Shizuno-chan than she is to me in some ways."

Harue pondered Nozomi's answer. The Atarashi sisters were quite far apart in terms of age; when Ako was still in elementary school, Nozomi had a job at the same school. They still remained close, but not quite as a bond between siblings who were closer in age that the Matsumi sisters had. In some ways, Ako was closer to Yuu, her friend Kuro's older sister, than she was with her own sister.

"Well, I was hoping to take a walk around the ship, and see some of the places I'd been to for old times' sake," Harue said, hoping to change the subject. "Do you want to come along?"

"Sure," Nozomi said. She had worked at Saunders long enough that it all looked familiar, but always liked the chance to stretch her legs with a friend.

Harue and Nozomi walked though the ship, seeing the school ship that they had left as students and returned as faculty and staff. Some of the places she had once frequented- for shopping, eating out or spending her spare time- were gone, having gone out of business, moved or been replaced by others, but others remained.

Harue saw a few students around, having already learned to recognize the new uniforms. There were quite a few reasons the themed schools had uniforms, and among them was for the sake of emulating the country they were imitating.

Harue said hello to a few of the students, who responded in kind. After passing them by, Harue turned back to Nozomi.

"Do you think they knew who I was?" Harue said.

"I'm not sure," Nozomi said. "But they probably assume that most young adults in business casual work for the school. Or maybe they're just welcoming someone new to the neighborhood"

Harue walked past the student apartment building where she had once lived a decade ago . Glancing at an informational sign, she noticed that the number to call for the management was the same as it had been when she lived there, although Harue suspected that if she called, someone she had never spoken with before would pick up the phone.

Harue examined the door of her old apartment, wondering what kind of person was living there at the moment. Much like she once had, someone had put her name plate in the slot on the door.

"Sagimori..." Harue said. "Does that sound at all familiar to you, Nozomi?"

"If you're talking about the bowling alley from our hometown, it does, Harue," Nozomi said. "The owner's somewhat old, so maybe her granddaughter lives in this apartment and goes to school at this school."

"Maybe," Harue said. "But in any case, it's not my apartment anymore, nor am I the same person I was when the two of us came here."

As she said this, Harue started to walk away, leaving Arata's apartment behind, and Nozomi followed her.

"That's true," Nozomi said. "But I think that even with all the changes over the years, Saunders is still very much the same school it once was. So, welcome back, Harue."

"Thanks, Nozomi," Harue said. "I won't make the same mistakes I did before."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes<strong>

Some of these side stories will focus on some of the more minor characters. Shindouji in particular didn't get all that much attention in Saki: Achiga-hen or the main fic, so I decided to give them, along with the others, some focus.

I'm personally curious as to where Alisa heard that Oarai would get shut down, so I had her get it from the same site that Hitomi "It's all the government's fault" Ezaki often checks for various conspiracy theories.

Since the holiday season is here, you may see a Christmas-themed story or two by Christmas.


	3. A Matter of Belief

**A Matter of Belief**

_During Nodoka's time in Achiga_

On the last day of class before Christmas, Harue's tankery club let out for the day.

The atmosphere in the club had an understated Christmas feel to it. Harue wore a red Santa hat with business casual attire, a white turtleneck sweater and khaki pants that hardly seemed to be holiday colors. The younger kids in the club pretended to do tankery with their toy tanks in a snowy battlefield model, while Nodoka's group- consisting of herself and her friends, Takakamo Shizuno, Atarashi Ako and Matsumi Kuro- were able to take the Firefly for a test drive in the snow.

_"My sister must be glad she's not out here," _Kuro thought, as she, along with her fellow members of the practice tank crew, headed inside for hot chocolate. Yuu had hesitated to join the tankery club because of her own shyness, until the time had come for her to go off to middle school. Yuu, always sensitive to the cold, enjoyed being at sea during the Nara winters, but was willing to put up with them to see her father and sister, and visit her mother's grave.

On the walk back, Shizuno, Ako, Kuro and Nodoka discussed their plans for Christmas.

"So what are you all doing for Christmas?" Shizuno said.

"My sister should be getting home from school today," Kuro said. "Dad and I will be glad to have her home."

"My sister's also getting home from work," Ako said, drawing momentary looks of disbelief from the others. On occasion, her friends were surprised at how much larger the age gap between her and Nozomi was than the gap between Kuro and Yuu. It was sometimes hard to accept that one sister was in elementary school and the other was working.

"Not much," Nodoka said. "My family has never really believed in Santa Claus, or in encouraging good behavior through material rewards. That aside, I've heard about him, but never really believed in him."

"Not _ever_, Nodoka-chan?" Kuro said. "Why is that?"

"Well, if you think about it, a lot of it doesn't make sense," Nodoka said. "The few houses with chimneys around here have all sorts of safety measures in place to prevent someone from getting in. They're for the sake of the homeowners, and to some degree, for the sake of those who might think about going down the chimney. And isn't Santa Claus rather fat, by all accounts, as well as carrying a huge sack of toys?"

"Yeah, you have a point," Ako said.

"Additionally, I have to wonder how he, driving a sleigh small enough to be driven by eight or nine reindeer- I forget which it is- could travel the entire world in one night, or give presents to the children all across the world. It'd be impossible for an airplane, let alone a reindeer-drawn vehicle, to cover so much ground so quickly or carry so much cargo, and that's not going into how the reindeer can't fly."

Kuro was tempted to say "It's magic," but knew better. Two years ago, her father had taken her and her sister to a museum with an exhibit about birds. While there, she had learned enough about how they could fly to learn that there was no logical way for reindeer to fly while carrying a sleigh.

"There's also how he and his reindeer keep themselves fed through the entire journey," Nodoka said. "Given that for any vehicle like a sleigh, you have to keep the animals well fed and well rested, it really doesn't seem practical to do it."

"Don't tell me you forgot, Nodoka," Shizuno said. "That's why we put out the milk and cookies! My mom runs a candy store, so she's the best there is at making sweet stuff!"

"So what happens if we don't do that, Shizuno?" Nodoka said. "Will Santa be unable to continue his journey without the food we provide him?"

"I don't know," Shizuno said. "I never thought about that when I was younger."

"It also seems fairly convenient," Nodoka said, "that other kids' parents tell them to go to sleep or else Santa won't come. But if they do sleep, they'll never see him enter or leave.""You have a point, Nodoka-chan," Kuro said. "A lot of things about Santa don't make sense when you think about them, particularly when he performs impossible feats and leaves virtually no traces behind apart from his gifts. But there is a certain magic in believing in Santa Claus, and in believing that if you're a good girl, you'll get presents, regardless of whether you're rich or poor. And there are certain things you don't need to see to believe."

Kuro left unspoken how her family was sometimes short on money. This often happened when business was bad at the Matsumi inn, particularly around the time Kuro and Yuu's mother had died.

But nevertheless, Nodoka was aware of such things, and so chose to rest her case. She saw this as a matter of belief, and had no desire to shatter Kuro's beliefs, even if she had the ability.

"I understand," Nodoka said, "and I think it would be pleasant to believe that, even if I never could. I may not believe in the occult or any sort of superstitions, but when people believe in such things for those reasons, I can't fault them for doing so."

"Of course, regardless of whether Santa exists or you believe in him, I think all of us recognize that the holidays aren't about presents, but spending time with those you're close to," Kuro said. "That's why I'm glad my sister's coming home."

"That's good to hear," Nodoka said. While she had her disagreements with her parents regarding tankery and school, she was looking forward to spending some time with them while putting those matters aside.

The conversation soon died down, and the group parted ways from each other as their paths home diverged, promising to meet each other again soon. They knew they would possibly go their separate ways in middle school, and Nodoka's family might leave Achiga before that, but they cherished the time they had together.

Kuro soon reached her house. The most convenient route to and from school took her to the back of the building.

"I'm home," Kuro said, as she entered her home from the back door.

"Welcome home, Kuro," Kuro's father said as she started taking off her shoes. "Your sister just got here."

Kuro nodded in appreciation, but then turned to one of the side rooms, where she saw her sister resting with her lower body beneath a kotatsu.

"Welcome home, Kuro-chan," Yuu said warmly.

Kuro smiled. The holidays had brought what was left of her family together, fulfilling her belief that she and those close to her would still be able to see each other.

"Welcome home, Onee-chan," Kuro said.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes<strong>

Among all of Saki: Achiga-hen's main cast, Kuro seems to believe most strongly in the supernatural phenomena, seeing her dora magnet as something of a link to her deceased mother (which Nodoka doesn't believe in, but she doesn't tell Kuro that she doesn't believe her for the sake of sparing her feelings). Perhaps she's also the sort to have once believed in Santa Claus.

**Character Analysis: Kuro Matsumi**

Among Nodoka's old friends, Kuro is in many ways the one holding the group together, even if she's not the leader. She's close to all the others in the group in her own way. And while Shizuno offers her enthusiasm, Ako offers her intelligence, Arata offers her reliability and leadership, and Yuu offers her experience, Kuro offers her steadfast determination to the group. Just like how in Saki Achiga-hen, she was willing to keep cleaning the club room for two years in case someone returned, she holds out hope that they will reunite with Nodoka one day. For her, it's a matter of belief, and her beliefs give her the determination necessary to persevere.


	4. A White Christmas At Black Forest

**A White Christmas At Black Forest**

Christmas came for Black Forest, and the ship returned to its home port of Kumamoto for the holidays. Upon hearing of its impending return, the students began making their own plans for the holidays.

For Maho, however, it was more difficult to plan for the holidays. Her parents were often busy during this time. Her sister had left Black Forest, and while she could potentially come over, she also had a new group of friends at her new school.

"Those without anything to do for Christmas, come."

* * *

><p>After a post-season practice session, some members of Teru's crew met up with each other. Since Teru had stepped down as vice-captain, and Sumire would soon be graduating, they had a new commander and gunner. In spite of that, the five members still met with each other from time to time, so they turned to each other to make sense of their invitation.<p>

"Do any of you have any idea what to make of this?" Takami said, while looking over the e-mail, and showing it to the others.

"I'm not sure, but it is what it is, right?" Seiko said. "The commander has requested our presence, and we can't refuse an order like this."

"So Teru and I aren't the only ones who got it," Sumire turned to Awai. "Awai, what about you?"

"Yep, I got it too," Awai said. "I already RSVPed."

Takami and Seiko looked at one another, but neither could think of any reason to refuse. After a moment, and with some reluctance, the two of them followed suit, as did Sumire.

* * *

><p>While walking back to her apartment, Maho checked her e-mail. Her inbox contained several short and to-the-point, but also appropriately formal RSVPs, on top of a few that she had already received.<p>

"Commander, I will be able to come. Hirose Sumire."

"I can make it and will see you there, Commander. Matano Seiko."

"Thank you for the invitation. I'll be there. Shibuya Takami."

"You can count on me to come, Commander. Morita 'Jagdpanther-chan' Kuroko."

Maho hoped that her responses were not at all intimidating. Maho knew that the variety of emotions from her teammates- Erika's strident haughtiness, Awai's boastful exuberance, Takami's reservedness, Seiko's often self-effacing humility, Sumire's blunt honesty, and the myriad of emotions beneath Teu's mask of stoicism- did not translate well into text.

But then she looked a bit earlier, and saw an exception to the rule.

"I'm in! :-) Awai."

With the guest list in mind, she then started to call Kikuyo and let her know the number and names of the guests.

"I see," Kikuyo said, after being informed about the guest list. "I shall begin the preparations."

"Thank you, Kikuyo-san," Maho said. "I'm sorry to impose on you."

"It is not a problem, Maho-sama," Kikuyo said. "When the mistress left, she told me to expect that you would have guests over. And, of course, one day I will call you 'Mistress' as well."

Maho nodded. While she was the heiress to the Nishizumi school, she was not yet ready to handle some of the parts relating to running the school, including the business and financial sides of it. And her father's company was entirely outside her responsibility.

Maho was unsure of how to feel about her parents' absence. Part of her wanted to share the holidays with them, which was a rare event for the largely busy Nishizumi family. But another part was grateful for the opportunity to have friends over outside their presence.

* * *

><p>When the Black Forest schoolship pulled into port, the girls who were invited made their way to the Nishizumi house in their own ways, at their own paces. Kuroko, keeping with her unfortunate reputation around school as being late, was somewhat late to the event, having accidentally gone to the wrong address first.<p>

_"So this is the Nishizumi house," _Kuroko thought, as she approached the front door. _"I should have known that the last one wasn't nearly big enough before I saw the nameplate."_

Kuroko knocked on the door and saw Kikuyo come out to greet her.

"Morita Kuroko-sama?" Kikuyo said. "We have been expecting you. Please, come this way."

Kuroko took off her shoes and followed Kikuyo into the living room, where she noticed a few other Black Forest tank commanders, as well as Teru's crew. Teru was dressed as an elf, while the other guests wore their Black Forest school uniforms.

"Sorry I'm late," Kuroko said, hoping that Maho had not noticed her tardiness.

"It's alright," Teru said, unusually relaxed. "Our host is finalizing some preparations, so feel free to relax."

"That's a relief," Kuroko said. "That's a nice costume, Vice-captain... I mean, Miyanaga-senpai."

"Thank you, Kuroko," Teru said. "Unfortunately, no one else besides Erika, Maho and I thought to dress up."

"Well, I assumed it was a school event, and we should wear our uniforms," Seiko said. Black Forest's uniform policy was significantly stricter than Oarai's. Students were not only required to wear uniforms to class, but to most events put on by the school, unless their clubs required them to wear their own uniforms.

"I couldn't find a store on our ship that sold seasonal costumes," Awai said, her voice uncharacteristically melancholy as she recalled her disappointment. "Where'd you get yours, Teru?"

"I bought it while I was visiting my sister in Oarai," Teru said. "I also helped her pick out a costume for her school's Christmas celebrations."

The others momentarily went quiet, envious of how Oarai could go into the holidays on a high note. Teru, sensing that things had ground to a halt, decided to take her leave.

"Well, I'm going to meet up with Maho and Erika," Teru said. "Kikuyo-san, can you take care of things out here?"

"Certainly, Miyanaga-sama," Kikuyo said, and Teru took her leave.

Takami sipped her tea, and found it to her liking. Even if she would end up being taken to task, she decided to enjoy the night while she could.

"This is good," Takami said, a rare smile coming to her normally expressionless face.

"Thank you for the kind words, Shibuya-sama," Kikuyo said.

"I agree, but surely the Commander didn't call us here just for tea, right?" Seiko said, looking around to confirm that Teru had left.

"I thought about asking Teru about this," Awai said, unusually somberly, "but her mind has seemed to be elsewhere, ever since the finals."

Seiko was left at a loss for words. Not only did she find it hard to believe that Awai could get away with addressing her senior and her former superior by her first name without honorifics, but she had also hoped that Awai, who was closer to Teru than most, had some idea behind Teru's uncharacteristic behavior. The normally confident and aloof Teru was somewhat out of sorts after her emotional apology to her sister after the finals, and Seiko wondered if it was related to her asking to resign as vice-captain after they had returned.

Sumire, one of the few people who knew the answer, decided to speak.

"Teru's... dealing with some personal issues at the moment," Sumire said, trying to answer Awai's question without disclosing things Teru wanted to be kept secret. "She has many regrets, and our defeat is far from the greatest of them."

"You have a point, Hirose-senpai," Seiko said. "But what about Vice Captain Itsumi and Commander Nishizumi?"

"Erika's mostly the same as always," Sumire said. "She was surprised by the loss, but her attitude essentially shifted from wanting to beat Oarai to prove that they didn't have what it takes, to wanting to beat them to get Black Forest back on top. As far as personality shifts go, that's barely a 30 degree turn."

"And the commander?" Takami said.

"She actually seemed... _happy_ about what happened," Sumire said. "I suspect it's because her sister was able to win against us."

Sumire had some idea about Maho's perspective. While she was an only child, she had a cousin at Oarai, Hirose Satomi. Satomi's parents had pressured her to enter the disciplinary committee, and saw tankery as a frivolous waste of time, but Sumire hoped that her cousin would get involved one day.

"Really?" Seiko said. "But even if she's glad that her sister won, I've heard the Nishizumi school is tough on those who fail, and we won't get any special treatment. Perhaps the commander called us here to punish us."

"If I may say something, ladies?" Kikuyo said, having returned to drop off some food.

"What's up?" Awai said. "You don't have to ask us for permission to speak, you know."

"Maho-sama didn't have anything of that sort in mind when she arranged this," Kikuyo said. "And I also spoke with Taka- I mean, your coach, who said that she was working to prepare you for next year, rather than punishing you for the loss this year."

"That makes sense," Sumire said. "If the coach wanted to berate us, she'd have done it immediately after the battle; 'strike while the iron's hot,' after all."

Awai chuckled, glad to have been proven right even though she never doubted her opinion. She then turned to Seiko, who was blushing slightly, mortified at having caused the others to worry for no reason.

"I told you that you should relax, Matano-senpai," Awai said. "There really wasn't any hidden purpose to this party after all."

"Sorry, Oohoshi, you were right," Seiko said. "But I suppose the difference between us is that I see being on a team like Black Forest as a responsibility I'll have to live up to, as well as one that I'm not sure I'm ready for."

"I don't believe that way of thinking is wrong, Matano-sama," Kikuyo said. "Miho-sama felt similarly as well, even before the incident last year."

"But Miho-san did ultimately succeed against us," Akeboshi Koume, the girl Miho had saved from the river in the finals of their first year of high school, said. "She couldn't have done that without a great deal of skill, and also a great deal of confidence and resolve. Perhaps that proves that Miho was always good at tankery, even if she wasn't suited to a place like Black Forest."

Maho returned to the room along with Erika and Teru, carrying a cake. Overhearing Koume's remark about Miho, Maho could not help but smile.

"Sorry for the wait," Maho said. "Are all of you enjoying yourselves?"

"Yes, Commander," the commander of a Panzer III that had been protecting the Maus said, and the others followed suit.

Maho frowned skeptpically. This was the answer they wanted her to believe, but it was not necessarily the truth.

"Teru told me some of you seem less than completely at ease," Maho said.

"Why wouldn't we be?" the commander of the Elefant that had been wedged in the doorway said. "We lost the finals, after all."

"The coach already took care of the post-match discipline and criticism," Maho said. "All that remains is to prepare for next year, and she's impressed by how we're doing. So I think that for now, we can enjoy the holidays and celebrate Christmas."

"Let me do this, Commander," Awai said. "I'm used to doing this."

Awai then expertly cut the cake into twelve pieces of the same size and shape. Five were handed to the members of her crew. Erika and Maho got one each. Four others were handed to the other commanders.

"Hey, Kikuyo!" Awai called out. "You can have the last piece if you'd like."

Kikuyo smiled.

"Thank you so much, Oohoshi-sama," she said, as she sat down. ven using a plastic fork and knife to eat off a paper plate, ate the slice of cake with the same delicacy as she would use for fine dining, not even getting a crumb on her kimono.

Maho turned to Takami.

"Awai seems to be a natural at this," Maho said, and Takami nodded.

"Awai-chan has a tremendous ego, but she's also fairly cheerful and outgoing," Takami said. "She's been the life of the party for as long as I've known her."

"Have you known her a long time?" Maho said.

"Since elementary school," Takami said. "One day, in fourth grade, I was eating lunch by myself, when Awai-chan, a third grader who had just transferred into our school, walked up to me, called me by my first name without honorifics, and asked me to eat with her. Some would see that as brazen or rude, but I find myself inspired by her confidence."

"Miho might have gotten along with her if she'd stayed at Black Forest," Maho said.

"Maybe so," Awai said, hearing the conversation, "since Miho does seem like the type who'd become friends with Takami. But at the moment, I'll have to defeat her a hundred times to pay her back for this year."

"Miho never had any hard feelings toward this school," Maho said, "in spite of the circumstances of her departure, and the fact that she is happier at Oarai. Her greatest reason for wanting to win is so that there will be a next year for her school."

"I know," Awai said. "And that's a good thing that Oarai will be around next year."

"Many people feel the same way as Awai-chan does, Commander," Takami said, "even if it's not quite the same way you feel about your sister."

The conversation died down, as the group finished the cake, and some of the guests looked around, expecting something to do. Maho knew that parties needed something to do, so she moved on to what was next- a karaoke machine. Since Maho enjoyed classical music and World War II-era songs like Panzerlied, she had difficulty thinking of songs to choose on the karaoke and decided to leave the choice to her guests.

The girls initially selected the Black Forest Peak Women's College school anthem. To some degree, this was a natural choice for them, as it was a highly popular song among the school, and even outside of it, after a fairly popular remix was made for NicoNico Douga. The Black Forest tankery team was very loyal to their school, and enjoyed expressing their pride in their school, even if it was no longer the reigning champion.

But then Teru stepped up, and entered the name of a J-rock song that enjoyed moderate popularity four years ago. The song, "I'm Still Alive," was apparently about a singer describing, in a cheerful singing voice, all the hardships she'd endured, and the fact that she had withstood them.

The name of the song sounded familiar to Sumire, but she only started to recognize it when a few bars of it played as part of a preview for the song.

"Teru... that song..." Sumire said.

"Mizuho's favorite," Teru said. "It was her ringtone on her cell phone for a while."

Spurred on by Teru's action, Awai entered her choice, another song by the same artist. Takami then followed suit with one of her favorites.

Maho realized that her tastes in music, at least the kind that made for good karaoke, were somewhat limited, leaving her at a loss for what to choose here. But her comrades had stepped in.

* * *

><p>Toward the end of the evening,<p>

"Gifts from Oarai?" Seiko said. "Why would they do that, unless..."

"Miho isn't that kind of person," Maho said. "And besides, Oarai is a gracious winner, as well as a loser."

"I agree, Maho," Teru said. "Although I'm not quite so sure what kind of person this 'Kadotani Anzu' is."

"If I recall correctly, she's the student council president," Maho said, "in addition to the co-sender of the gifts. Let's open them up and see what we have."

Kuroko opened a box containing a model of a Hetzer.

_"The tank that took my Jagdpanther's tracks off..."_ she thought. _"This is definitely Kadotani Anzu's idea!"_

As she briefly recoiled in shock, Kuroko looked over and saw Maho looking her way, studying her expression.

The commander of the Panzer III opened up the box and found a model of the Porsche Tiger, softly groaning as she recalled how it had defeated her. The commander of the Elefant gave a similar reaction as she opened up her gift and found a model of a Cromwell.

Takami opened a tea set that contained Hisa's favorite brand of tea.

_"I could actually come to like this brand," _she thought with a smile.

Seiko opened up a model of a Tas, the tank that had brought down the Maus, and silently groaned.

Sumire opened up a model of a KV-2, the tank that had scored a double knockout against her team in the semifinals.

_"I'm sensing a pattern here,"_ she thought. _"But it sems that not all of them are Oarai's tanks."_

Awai opened her box and found a model of a Panzer IV.

_"That damn tank- the one tank from Oarai we couldn't defeat- caused us a lot of trouble," _Awai thought. _"Did Miho think anyone would like it?"_

Koume then pulled out the same tank as Awai did, but her reaction could not be any more different. She had a model of the tank her savior had commanded; not the one she piloted along with everyone else at Black Forest, but the one that she led when she returned to tankery on her own terms.

Teru opened her gift and found a model of the Char B1 Bis. Memories of the past came to mind, but this time, they were fond memories of the time she had spent together with Mizuho and Saki, rather than the tragedy that had claimed Mizuho's life.

Teru had to wonder if this was a happy coincidence of if someone knew the significance this tank had to her. In the end, she believed she had wasted too much time assuming the worst possible interpretations of events, and so decided to choose the one she found to be best.

Erika tried to feel her box to find out the contents. The packaging was too soft to be a cardboard box for a model, and when she shook it, there was a soft rustling.

Erika opened the box and found an Anglerfish dancer suit.

"What's this?" Erika said. "Is this for the Anglerfish Dance?"

"Apparently, Miho danced that dance with the rest of her team and the student council after losing to BC Freedom," Maho said. "She said they came to understand how the team shares the outcome; victory and defeat."

Erika silently seethed with indignation. Did Oarai really underestimate how seriously Black Forest took their losses? Erika hoped to face Oarai again next year, and show that they had come back from their failure.

_"If they have their tankers do that for losing a practice match, then what's the punishment for losing the tournament?" _Erika thought _"I'm planning on finding out next year.'_

Maho opened her package, finding a plush creature that to some, resembled a sea anemone, and to others who had a passing interest in Greek mythology, resembled the head of the mythical monster Medusa.

Just as they had their own interpretations as to what the gift was supposed to be, the guests had their own predictions as to how Maho would react. But none of them predicted Maho's what Maho would say.

"Cute," Maho said.

Perhaps this part of herself that would find the gift cute, or even value cuteness, was not one characteristic of a typical Black Forest commander or Nishizumi heiress. But Maho found it liberating to show it to her comrades.

Suddenly, Teru's cell phone began ringing, with the same song she had entered into the karaoke machine. She picked it up, and recognized the caller ID, one that had started showing up more recently.

"I'm sorry, I have to take this," Teru said. "It's Saki."

Teru stepped out of the living room, walked down the hall, and stepped into an unused guest room nearby, closing the door behind her. Her teammates, hearing her refer to her sister and having become aware of Teru and Saki's relationship, decided to let her walk off to take the call on her own.

"Hello, this is Teru," Teru said.

"Hello, Onee-chan," Saki said. "Are you enjoying the Christmas party?"

"I am, Saki," Teru said, stepping out of the room. "How about you?"

"The ship's just off the northern coast of Australia," Saki said, mentally noting that it was a good thing that she had a special plan for high school students to enable them to make long-distance calls to their parents. "The president says that the school ships help us to escape the cold of winter, although Saori-senpai is complaining, finding snow more romantic."

"I see," Teru said. "You do have quite the collection of colorful individuals at Oarai."

"Yes, and I'm glad that I'll be able to see most of them again next year," Saki said, "save for the ones who are graduating."

"That's good," Teru said simply, leaving unspoken how she would be parting ways from many of her teammates, and that she and Saki would once again be in separate levels of school. Teru did consider herself fortunate, though. She had been able to reconcile with Saki, and had finally connected with Maho.

"How are our parents?" Saki said. "Have you heard anything from them?"

"Unfortunately, they... haven't made much progress, so to speak," Teru said. "Mom was going to celebrate with her coworkers, but she was pleased to hear that I was having a party with some friends, and hoped you were doing something like that, too."

"I spoke with Mom, too," Saki said. "She was glad to hear what I was doing, but didn't say anything about her and Dad."

"I see," Saki said, slightly disappointed. She hoped that it meant that there was no news, not that they did not have the heart to tell her what was happening.

Maho knocked on the door.

"Sorry to interrupt your phone call, Teru," Maho said, "but some people are getting ready to leave, and Kikuyo-san would like to take a photo of us all before we do."

"I'll be there in a moment," Teru said. "I have to get going, Saki," Teru said into the receiver.

"I see," Saki said, having said and heard all she wished to, save for one thing. "Merry Christmas, Onee-chan."

"Merry Christmas, Saki," Teru said.

* * *

><p>Kuroko and Koume took a late bus back. Their families lived in the same part of Kumamoto- the Moritas had lived there since before Kuroko was born, but the Akaboshis had moved there while Koume was in middle school. The two girls were quite surprised to learn they lived so close to each other, as they were relative strangers until after Miho's departure, before bonding over their regrets regarding that turn of events.<p>

"It was really nice of Miho-san to give us those gifts, wasn't it, Kuroko-san?" Koume said.

"Yeah, Koume-san," Kuroko said. "I do have to wonder, though, why she chose the tanks that were instrumental in defeating us."

"Miho-san went up against St. Gloriana earlier," Koume said, "the school that gives tea baskets to worthy rivals, win or lose.'

"Ah, yes," Kuroko said. "St. Gloriana takes their tea seriously, so it makes sense that Miho-san would give a gift that matched both our interests."

"Exactly," Koume said. "Miho-san remembered that she loved tankery, even if she didn't enjoy the pressures from Black Forest and the Nishizumi school. And she remembered that there are those of us from her old school who are close to her."

Kuroko nodded. In spite of her initial shock at receiving her gift, she hoped to put it together and send a picture to Miho, along with a thank-you note.

* * *

><p>Maho watched as the last of her guests went home.<p>

Maho got out her cell phone and was about to dial Miho's number when the phone rang, with a call from Miho.

"Hello?" Maho said.

"Hello, Onee-chan," Miho said. "Did you enjoy your Christmas party with the others?"

"I did, Miho," Maho said. "Some of the others had a bit of a hard time getting used to the idea of just relaxing, but once they did, I think they enjoyed themselves for the most part."

"So they're still having trouble relaxing," Miho said. "Is it because they lost?"  
>"Partially," Maho said. "But they're a determined group that are proud of their school, and want to win next time, so they're not letting that get them down."<p>

"So is Oarai, in its own way," Miho said. "It has many people who wouldn't make it on Black Forest's tankery team, but still love their school. For all the differences we have with our rivals, we do have at least that much in common."

"That's good to hear, Miho," Maho said. "I've always known Oarai was better suited to you than Black Forest, but it's still nice to hear that you consider it home, and that the school will be around for you in your final year of high school."

"Thank you, Onee-chan," Miho said. "But what about you?"

"To some degree, it will always be the school that was chosen for me, rather than the one I chose," Maho said. "Most of the people there see me as a commander, rather than as a friend. But there are people with whom I've connected, and it is still _my_ school, so regardless of what my other feelings may be, a part of me will still hope for the best for the school and the girls I commanded, even once I graduate."

"I understand," Miho said. "A part of me still holds a bit of fondness for Black Forest, even after everything."

For Miho and Maho, their feelings toward Black Forest would always be complicated in some ways, since in many regards, they had to put their feelings aside. But one thing was clear- they missed having each other around, but were glad to hear each other's voices, and for the news that they were enjoying the holidays.

"I've essentially said everything I wanted to, except for one thing," Miho said. "Merry Christmas, Onee-chan."

"Merry Christmas, Miho," Maho said.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes<strong>

This is based in part on Chapter 9 of Motto Love Love Sakusen Desu, although the presence of the Shiraitodai team from Saki adds a new dimension to this.

**Character Analysis: Awai Oohoshi**

On first glance, Awai practically makes Erika look humble, frequently boasting about her abilities and underestimating her opponents, the latter of which catches up to her when she places last in the semi-finals and almost knocks her team out of the tournament.

But Awai is also fairly cheerful and confident in herself for the most part. She's surprisingly familiar with Teru and Takami, despite both of them being her seniors (and since Takami used "-chan" on Awai, I interpreted her as having known Awai a long time). All in all, in spite of her ego, she's a relatively affable individual who hardly seems as humorless as the stereotypical Black orest tanker.

**Character Analysis: Takami Shibuya**

Takami's a relatively shy and reserved girl, possessing neither the cool stoicism of Maho, Sumire and Teru, nor the haughtiness of Erika and Awai, even if she's not as meek as Miho. One might wonder if she seems out of place on a champion team- whether Black Forest or Shiraitodai- but in Saki, she's effective in the right circumstances.

**Character Analysis: Seiko Matano**

Canonically, Seiko seems somewhat nervous, and for good reason. She _badly_ loses in her semifinals match, setting a new record for the most points lost in a single round and all but eliminating Shiraitodai's massive lead. She worries about her standing on the team, and as such, hopes that Awai will do well enough to make up for it so that the worst-case scenario doesn't happen and she doesn't get into even more trouble.

Seiko's mind does provide a look at what some of the lower-ranking members of the regular team of a champion school feel; feeling somewhat inadequate compared to their peers, and struggling to not fail the team. It's possible that Seiko does feel annoyed by Awai's attitude, both in casually referring to those above her and confidently thinking herself invincible. As such, Seiko does end up scolding Awai, even if she doesn't consider herself the top authority on the team, and successfully insists on being addressed with the respect she feels she deserves, if for no other reason than because she's a year older than Awai.

None of the three of them conform to the stereotype of Black Forest's tankers, nor do many of the extras in Motto Love Love Sakusen Desu. It's an interesting chapter for that reason, showing that perhaps there's more to the team than we thought, and they're not all like Erika or the person Maho presents herself as.


	5. Off Duty

**Off Duty**

As Yukimura Mashiro's plane touched down in the airport, her last stop on her flight to the tankery convention, she looked about, as the various passengers exited the plane in an orderly fashion, trying to find the appropriate time to stand up and make her way out of her aisle seat.

Mashiro wore a navy blue suit, a white dress shirt and a blue necktie, having dressed up for the event. In a neat and professional briefcase, which she had stowed in the overhead compartment, she had documents related to her professional tankery team, and in her suitcase, she had some supplies- strictly the essentials.

Mashiro's traveling companion was her old coach, Kurosawa, who was now her superior in their professional tankery team. The two had already gone over their plans for the convention, and were not much for small talk. Kurosawa had rarely spoken to Mashiro, except to give her an order. Of all the things Mashiro had said to Kurosawa over the course of the trip, half of them were "Yes, ma'am," or some variant thereof. On the flight, Mashiro had mainly occupied herself by reading a book titled "Tactical Withdrawal: My Failure to Become a Professional Tanker and Why It's a Good Thing", a book by a tankery journalist who had briefly been a professional tanker. Mashiro had picked up the book on her sister's recommendation.

As Mashiro exited the plane, the flight attendant near the plane's cabin said, "Have a nice day," to her and Kurosawa as they passed, much like everyone else. Mashiro responded in kind as she passed by, recognizing the courtesy as a routine gesture expected of them on the job. When it came to flight attendants, service employees and other strangers, Mashiro's policy was to be polite with them but keep them at a distance.

Mashiro and Kurosawa exited the terminal and reached the front of the airport, making their way to the baggage claim. Their suitcases, in solid professional colors, did not stand out well from all the others, but they recognized their bags well enough to retrieve them.

While waiting, Mashiro saw a bag that looked somewhat like hers, but was a shade too dark. The woman who retrieved it looked like a dead ringer for her, with the same hair style and a similar navy suit, but when she turned around, Mashiro noticed she was wearing a different colored shirt and a different necktie.

Soon afterward, Mashiro saw a young girl, no more than eight years old, retrieve a small and colorful suitcase based on a popular magical girl anime, while her mother, a woman Mashiro's age, retrieved a hot pink suitcase.

_"I suppose it would be convenient to stand out like that," _Mashiro thought. _"But I wouldn't be caught dead with a suitcase like that."_

Mashiro had no idea what Kurosawa was thinking at this point, since she was in the process of looking for her suitcase.

* * *

><p>After the two retrieved their luggage, Kurosawa picked up the rental car. She and Mashiro got in, with Kurosawa driving, Mashiro in the passenger seat, and their suitcases in the backseat. Kurosawa got out a GPS and input the address for Mashiro's destination- her older sister's home.<p>

"This is quite convenient," Kurosawa said. "Your sister's house is quite close to where I'm staying with some relatives. I trust there won't be any complaints about being picked up at 8 tomorrow, Yukimura?"

"No, ma'am," Mashiro said. She knew there was only one answer she could give, and found it slightly disingenuous to phrase an order as a question.

Mashiro knew this meant she would have to be ready on time, dressed appropriately and having everything ready, but was glad to spend a few hours with her sister. Her sister still regarded tankery as a game, albeit while being proud to have a professional tanker as a sister, and always supportive of Mashiro in her various endeavors.

The drive was mostly quiet, and Mashiro seemed to reach the destination sooner than she expected. Before long, the suburban neighborhood in which her sister lived began to look familiar, and the GPS indicated that their destination was close at hand.

"We're here," Kurosawa said, as she pulled up to the house and parked the car.

Mashiro got out of the car, walked toward the front door, and rang the bell. Mashiro glanced back, and noticed that Kurosawa had gotten out of the car.

"Don't mind me, Yukimura," Kurosawa said. "I'm just making sure that you can get into the house."

Hanamura Haruka, Mashiro's older sister, opened the front door outwards, pushing it open as she strode out toward Mashiro with open arms.

"Hi, Mashiro!" Haruka said, throwing her arms around her younger sister.

"Onee-san!" Mashiro cried out in shock at the gesture of affection.

"Just saying hi to my kid sister," Haruka said, as she slowly released Mashiro. "You might be a grownup now, but that'll never change."

Mashiro nodded. The difference in ages between the sisters was fairly significant; Haruka was 36 years old, while Mashiro, the younger, had just turned 30. As a result, the sisters went through life at different paces, as whenever Mashiro reached a milestone Haruka once had reached, her older sister reached another that was significantly ahead of her.

Mashiro had barely started grade school when Haruka went off to middle school. When Mashiro started attending the Nishizumi School of tankery, Haruka was old enough to do tankery for real- if she had not sworn it off after flunking out of the school, discouraged by her inability to make the cut there. By the time Mashiro graduated from high school, Haruka had already graduated from university, was working as a freelance web designer and was engaged to her future husband, Hanamura Fuyuhiko.

Kurosawa simply stood and observed the scene until Haruka.

"Out of curiosity, Mashiro, who is she?" Haruka said.

"Ah, right, I haven't introduced you," Mashiro said. "Onee-san, this is Commander Kurosawa, from my professional tankery team. Commander, this is Hanamura Haruka, my older sister."

Mashiro's sister and commander exchanged bows.

"Nice to meet you," Haruka said.

"Pleased to meet you," Kurosawa said, "although I'm a bit surprised I haven't met you yet, for as long as I've known Yukimura."

"That's because I keep my public and private lives separate, Commander," Mashiro said. "I am not ashamed of the latter, but realize there are times when I must set it aside for the sake of conduct becoming myself in the former."

Kurosawa nodded. The relatives that she was staying with, who lived quite close to Mashiro's sister, had never met or specifically heard of Mashiro.

"I see," Kurosawa said. "I'll be by to pick you up tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. sharp. Just remember, Yukimura; what you do in private, on your own time, is your business."

"Yes, ma'am," Mashiro said. "I will see you tomorrow morning, Commander."

Kurosawa got into her car and backed out of the driveway. As she drove away, Haruka and Mashiro entered the house and took off their shoes.

"So, Mashiro, I'm touched that you dressed up for me," Haruka said jokingly.

"It's for the convention," Mashiro said. "If worse came to worse, and the airline lost my luggage, I could borrow some clothes from you, but I would at least like to have a suit to wear."

"If that happened, I could lend you one of my suits," Haruka said. "Don't worry, they're actually tasteful, professional and fit you."

"I see," Mashiro said. "All the same, I would not want to impose on you unless absolutely necessary, Onee-san."

"Don't worry about it, Mashiro, I'm just glad to have you over," Haruka said. "And my husband is, too, even if he's out of town on business."

"That's a shame," Mashiro said as Haruka ushered her inside. "I had hoped to see Fuyuhiko-nii-san again, but I'm glad to see your children."

With a nod, Haruka walked into the house and took off her shoes, with Mashiro following suit.

"Kids!" Haruka called out. "Your aunt is here; come out and greet her."

"Hi, Aunt Mashiro!" Haruka's children- Akira, the elder son, and Natsuki, the younger daughter- said as they rushed out.

"It's good to see you two again," Mashiro said, smiling.

After a few minutes of talking with the family, Mashiro went up to the guest room and decided to change into something more casual, while Haruka prepared dinner. She pulled a pink shirt- a color she was fond of, but considered too gaudy for formal occasions- and blue jeans.

"So," Mashiro said, as dinner reached the table. "How are my niece and nephew doing?"

"Quite well, Aunt Mashiro," Akira said, and Natsuki nodded in agreement.

"A lot of my classmates at middle school are getting involved in tankery," Natsuki said. "But it seems a bit hard for me, so I won't even bother with that."

"Maybe that's for the best," Mashiro said. "You shouldn't force yourself to go down a path you don't want to- or can't- go down. You can't do everything. Did your mother tell you about her experiences with it?"

"Yep," Natsuki said.

"It was actually somewhat hard on me to flunk out," Haruka said. "It was the first time I'd failed at something that important and prestigious. But in the end, failing at that path was a bit like getting to a dead end in a maze; all I had to do was retrace my steps and I was able to find the actual path to my goal."

"I see," Mashiro said. "The author of that book you mentioned said something similar."

"Ah, you bought a copy," Haruka said. "That's always nice when you read something I read. The one regret I have about leaving tankery is that I no longer have that in common with you, so I can't take as much of an interest in your doing tankery as you do."

"Well, it does cut both ways," Mashiro said. "I consider myself fairly computer-literate, but I don't get much of the programming and designing aspects of your job that you talk about." Mashiro then looked at Akira and Natsuki, who were simply eating, unsure of what to say. "And it seems as though Akira and Natsuki feel that way, as well."

Haruka chuckled.

"Well, I wouldn't have a job if my customers were able to do this on their own," Haruka said. "But if nothing else, my time in the Nishizumi school taught me to have empathy for those who aren't as savvy in my field of expertise, and who don't know the things I take for granted."

Mashiro had nothing to say to that, but simply nodded, and the subject soon changed to recent events in Haruka's life, which they discussed until dinner ended.

* * *

><p>After dinner, Mashiro washed the dishes while Haruka started putting the silverware away, and Akira and Natsumi went upstairs to play a video game together. Mashiro believed in the value of earning her keep, even at her sister's house, and Haruka was glad for this, as it was yet another chance to talk with Mashiro privately about something that had come up at dinner.<p>

"You seemed unusually concerned when tankery was brought up at dinner, Mashiro," Haruka said. "Is something troubling you?"

"Well, the part when you mentioned the time you were expelled from the Nishizumi school, Onee-san," Mashiro said. "Perhaps you got off easily, so to speak, or things weren't as bad for you as they could have been."

"Well, what could the Nishizumis do to their students apart from kicking them out of the school?" Haruka said.

"I heard a disturbing report from one of my old kouhais from Black Forest and the Nishizumi School," Mashiro said. "Apparently, Instructor Nishizumi was considering disowning her younger daughter, Miho."

"Why? What happened?" Haruka said incredulously. The only time she had ever heard of someone being disowned was one adult who reportedly was unable to hold down a job, was not making any serious attempt to get another, and had problems with drug and alcohol abuse.

"Apparently, Miho isn't living up to Instructor Nishizumi's standards," Mashiro said. "It's not a question of talent, but determination. Miho refused to sacrifice victory to save the crew of a tank that had fallen in the water, and, after coming to Oarai, further deviated from the Nishizumi style. She was threatened with being disowned if she lost to Saunders, a task that was difficult for Oarai to complete. Miho succeeded, but it's anyone's guess what the future holds for her."

"That's terrible..." Haruka said. "Mom and Dad weren't mad when I didn't make the cut at the Nishizumi school, saying that it was difficult to succeed, and my talents lay elsewhere. Expelling students is one thing, but I can't believe Instructor Nishizumi would disown her daughter for not doing things her way."

"Yes, it's disturbing to me for several reasons," Mashiro said. "For as long as I remember, I knew that not all women are tankers, and being a tanker is only one part of what makes a woman who she is. I don't think any less of you because you failed to live up to the Nishizumi School's standards, Onee-san; you're still my older sister."

"I'm glad to hear that, Mashiro," Haruka said with a smile. "So why doesn't Instructor Nishizumi just tell Miho-chan that she's not cut out to be a tanker, and help her find a pursuit that's more suited to her skills?"

"The first reason is that Miho got back into tankery on her own volition," Mashiro said. "The second reason is that she did what was almost impossible, defeating her older sister and the heiress despite being outmatched."

"So what does this mean, then?" Haruka said. "Is Instructor Nishizumi wrong about Miho-chan?"

Mashiro shrugged. While she had to be mindful of how she approached such matters in public, she knew that she could confide in her sister. The problem was that she was not sure of the answer. She was unwilling to admit that the Nishizumi style was flawed, even if she was no longer as confident defending it as before.

"I honestly don't know," Mashiro said. "The Nishizumi ideology is too firmly established to be overturned so easily by recent events. But Miho's victory may be more than just a fluke. I hope that Instructor Nishizumi is willing to see what the answer is"

"And doesn't Miho-chan have a sister, Nishizumi Maho-chan?" Haruka said. "As an older sister myself, I suspect this must be hard on her."

"Possibly," Mashiro said. "But while I have met Assistant Instructor Nishizumi on occasion, she divulges relatively little about her private life to me. Since I'm just another student at her mother's school, she has no reason to do so."

Mashiro and Haruka, no longer certain of what to say, let the conversation drop. But Mashiro realized that voicing her doubts about the Nishizumi style was not something she could do in public, so she would likely find no answers to her questions at the convention. Attending was simply part of her duty to her team.

The next morning, Mashiro put on her suit, before coming to breakfast in the kitchen, joined by her sister, nephew and niece. As she was eating, she noticed her sister was dressed similarly, wearing a suit that looked much like hers.

"You look quite nice, Onee-san," Mashiro said. "Did you dress up because my teammates were coming to pick me up?"

"I'm actually meeting a client later for lunch," Haruka said. "You're not the only one who has to look nice in front of her boss. I essentially dress and act the same way around my clients that you do around your commander, except for the saluting part."

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. Mashiro and Haruka glanced out the door and recognized Kurosawa's rental car.

"It looks like your commander's here, Mashiro," Haruka said. "Now that I'm more appropriately dressed, shall I redo my self-introduction to make a better impression on her?"

"There's no need, Onee-san," Mashiro said with a smile. "You showed the commander who you really are, and she got a glimpse of who I am. Let's just act natural."

Haruka nodded as Mashiro opened the door and cheerfully waved goodbye to her sister, before getting into Kurosawa's car.

"How was your time with your sister, Yukimura?" Kurosawa said. "Did you enjoy it?"

Mashiro smiled slightly and gave the answer that came to mind, both as what was expected and what she truly felt like saying.

"Yes, ma'am," Mashiro said.

**Author's Notes**

This side story, the first to focus primarily on original characters, was intended to show two sides of Mashiro that she doesn't usually show to others. The first is how she acts when around someone more powerful than she is. The second is how she acts around people with whom she has no professional connections, while not having to remain in her superiors' good graces or command the respect of her subordinates.

I also chose to illustrate how there are attitudes besides being wholeheartedly in support of Miho's way of tankery and favoring disowning her. Mashiro may be a Nishizumi disciple through and through (and originally was a distant relative of Shiho's), but she does not look down on the "unworthy," especially not when they're part of her family, or can find happiness and success in other pursuits.


End file.
